Graphic Designer

Gibson Brands, Inc. (“Gibson” or the “company”), the world’s most iconic guitar brand, has shaped the sounds of generations of musicians and music lovers across genres for more than 100 years. Orville Gibson founded the company in 1894 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Gibson has a legacy of world-class craftsmanship, legendary music partnerships and progressive product evolution that is unrivalled among musical instrument companies. Our portfolio of brands includes Gibson as well as many of the most beloved and recognizable music brands, including Epiphone, Kramer, and others; we also own Gibson Pro Audio with brands such as KRK and Cerwin-Vega. Many Gibson instruments are highly collectible since Gibson was at the forefront of innovation for many genres of music including big band, rock-n-roll, and blues. Gibson operates via a central headquarters based in Nashville, TN, supporting five manufacturing facilities as well as four regionally-based support centres that enable the sales, marketing, and distribution activities in each of four different worldwide regions.

OVERALL JOB PURPOSE

The Graphic Designer should be a graphic rendering concept artist fluent in the language of GUITARS who can take verbal direction to create photo-realistic images using Adobe products.The Graphic Designer is responsible for providing high quality design ideas that provide an unrivalled brand experience to fans. This role will design and manage projects from conception to completion under tight deadlines.

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Will create and manage a library of templates for various instrument platforms and potentially other music products from accessories to amplifiers.
• Propose and create visual concepts based on briefs and create assets, including graphic, interactive and social media content, to support the market introduction of the products following the relevant brand guidelines 
• Create sales support materials for all SKUs; develop all print and POS materials for all global dealers and distributors in conjunction with division and sell through plans
• Improve overall quality, speed and cost-efficiency of global creative marketing function
• Create compelling graphic images, messages and tools to improve sales and marketing efforts across retail and web 
• Post-production, image resizing, photo retouching, clipping and quality control management of all photography
• Creation of consistent graphic materials in support of any ER/Outreach enterprise events, trade shows, sponsorships, activations and artist appearances
• Create and maintain all design templates for HQ requirements and standardization and consistency across all brands
• Proactively benchmark competitors for designs and best practices
• Manage multiple agencies and other external partners in the development and execution of project deliverables while meeting timing, budget, and quality expectations

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• MUST have experience in Guitar Designs. 
• Must have demonstrated knowledge of guitars.
• BS in Graphic Design or equivalent degree or related work experience.
• 3+ years of experience with Adobe InDesign, Photoshop and illustrator.
• Strong knowledge of design principles, typography, user interfaces, web standards and usability.
• Strong photo retouching skills.
• Flawless attention to detail and organizational skills when working with large number of files and assets.
• Experience in asset management process and high-volume projects and delivery.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Self-motivated, creative problem solver able to work independently when necessary.

Nota Bene:

The company’s job descriptions are not intended to be a complete detailed account of all expected/anticipated activities. We operate in a fast-moving and competitive global environment and therefore need employees to be flexible.